Dungeon at the End of the Universe

Although the Dungeon network may have been made out of Dungeon Seeds that the main Dungeon Core on the moon controlled, that didn’t mean Thistleskin treated it as its home Dungeon. In fact, quite contrary. As soon as the Boss appeared inside the tunnels its senses told it it was in enemy territory.

Just like when Faellen had used a portal to travel to Lapis, there was a guardian in this room too. Unfortunately, the guardian was no match for a monster like TUP.

Thistleskin stretched out on if its limbs at pierced through the bear like creature. Then, inspired by how the enchantment had drained mana out of it, it reversed the effect and began draining the guardian.

Except that the Boss didn’t drain just mana. Somehow it also managed to drain the monster’s vitality.

The hulking tree like figure stepped out of the portal room, leaving behind only a shrivelled corpse.

Soon, the Boss would find its way out of the Dungeon and onto the surface of Lapis.

As luck would have it, Thistleskin happened to have chosen the same portal as Faellen had. Unfortunately, by the time it exited the Dungeon network the fairy and three Sipalians were no longer camping in the jungle.

They had moved on once Faellen judged them to have improved enough. They would still be working on their Abilities, but this time in proper combat.

“Alright, listen up,” Faellen raised its voice. “This’ll be your first real combat. The creature will most likely be much weaker than what you’ve faced on the moon. That doesn’t mean you can take it easy. Not only will it be something completely unfamiliar, the environment will also work to impede you.”

The four of them were standing on a beach, the great ocean in front of them.

Thanks to the mana gathering enchantment most of the mutated animals and monsters would be found underwater. And since all adventurers had a quest to help mitigate the apocalypse, Faellen thought this’d be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

To cull the nascent monster population, as well as more training.

“Prshky, let’s start with you. I’m guessing you’ll have it easiest.”

And indeed he did. He barely even had to step into the sea. As soon as he spotted the mutated sea life coming for him he simply pointed at it and fired a mana bolt.

The ‘battle’ was over in an instant.

“Ditti,” Faellen called out next.

The rogue had a bit more trouble. Their speciality was speed and water impeded that greatly. Still, that didn’t stop them.

They submerged themselves completely in the water and waited for the monster to draw near. At exactly the moment it came just within range, they activated an Ability that gave them a burst of speed.

All that was left of the mutated fish were two halves.

“Ram.”

The biggest, heaviest, and strongest of the three Sipalians walked forward. She didn’t have a way to ignore the water, nor a burst of speed to temporarily ignore it. But what she did have was superhuman strength and great defence.

Ram’s opponent rushed at her, aiming to bite a chunk out of her arm. She simply activated her defensive Ability. This caused the fish bite to not even penetrate the skin on her arm.

Confused, the beast had no time to react when one of Ram’s claw arms closed around it and bisected it.

“Good job everyone. Go rest up and meditate a bit while I gather up some more monsters,” the fairy spoke and got to work.

It, like most fae, had no direct offensive capabilities. What it did have were various methods of subterfuge. Mainly illusions, but you’d rarely meet a fae that can’t make use of animals to at least some degree.

Meanwhile, the agents tracking the trio of adventurers was making good progress through the jungle. Among other things, their supplies included a couple of machetes which allowed them to cut a path through the dense trees.

That is what they were doing currently, cleaving and cutting down any shrubs in their path as well as the occasional tree or liana if it was small enough.

Unfortunately, that would be their downfall.

One of them swung at a gnarly branch of a twisted tree. Strangely, the blade bounced right off. It hadn’t managed to cut even the slightest bit into the wood.

Confused, the Sipalinas tried again, much to the same result.

Before the agent could think about it any more, a sharp branch pierced through his torse and began draining him.

Thistleskin was a mana hungry monster and the sparse ambient mana on the outskirts of the Dungeon network mana gathering enchantment had caused it go into hibernation. Until a foolish Sipalian awakened it with the lure of a tasty snack.

The agent only barely managed to produce a weak scream before he was completely drained. Although there was next to no mana in him, his vitality still nourished Thistleskin.

The false treant began moving at its proper speed.

The other Sipalians in the expedition looked over at what caused such a blood curdling scream. What they saw scared even their toughest members.

A tree, vaguely in the shape of a Sipalian, walked towards them. And on one of its branch limbs was the dried corpse of one of their own.

A massacre ensued. The Boss monster was much more powerful in every regard comparer to a regular mortal. The Sipalians stood no chance.

The first agent it reached died the same death as the first. She was pierced from behind by a sharp branch and drained.

That finally caused the others to react.

Some of them ran, some of them fought.

Those who fought didn’t live long to tell the tale. One of them was caught by two branches and lifted above the Boss, where it pulled until the agent ripped in half, bathing the monster in blood and vitality.

The rest quickly followed similar fates. Then it was the runners’ turn.

Thistleskin moved much faster than a being of that size should’ve. One after another, it caught up to the Sipalian agents and drained them for all they were worth. There was only one lucky enough to escape.

Only one that had begun to flee the moment the monster showed itself, not even waiting for the second victim to die.

Sometimes, cowardice was rewarded. Not that the agent would agree at the moment, or in the near future.

With the head start she gained she was able to outlast the monster. Not outrun, as the Boss was magically enhanced. But once the little bit of mana it had gathered and the vitality it had absorbed ran out, it had to enter back into hibernation.

Still, the only surviving Sipalian did not stop running. In fact, she wouldn’t stop running even long after exiting the forest.

Soon, the government would be notified of the monster in the jungle.